Change
by loboazul.vival
Summary: TMNT AU. Everyone goes through some type of change. Some changes are physical, some are emotional. In hopes to figure out what happened to them, the guys must face situations that they had completely forgotten about, They must grow up and face the aftermath of their actions. And then maybe, just maybe, they'll figure out what mutated them.
1. Chapter 1

Leonardo

/"_Hey , Freak! You want to play?"_

_Four First years were walking you to him. The two girls, Alex and Mia, where twins. They had short brown hair and mud brown eyes. They weren't extremely tall, but their attitude alone would make them stand out in a crowd. While Alex was shy and walked with her shoulders hunched, Mia was over confidant and twice as cocky. She was usually the one that bullied people into doing what she wanted. Alex just went along with it, but she was also pretty mean. She was the strong silent violent type. Alex would beat people up while Mia threatened the other kids. _

_The two of them acted like the world owed them a huge favor just for existing. Their skin was pale like marble. And like it, you could see the tiny holes in it if you looked closely-not that you would want to. They always wore a look like they had smelled something gross; it seemed to be permanently glued on to their faces._

_The other two boys were chubby. Every time they moved, you could almost see their blubber like skin juggle around. The one who had called him a Freak was Rick, the fattest first year ever. He had red hair and freckles and brown, beady eyes. Behind his back, everyone called him the red headed rat. Of course once Rick found who said it he beat the snot out of them. _

_Rick's sidekick, Bill, was almost as fat, but the difference was that he was 7, so no one in first year messed with him. He got held back a year after he flunked Physical Education. Once when the class had been playing dodge ball, he passed out from a ball hitting him. Michelangelo said that he was faking; he had been hit by many balls and he hadn't been hurt- everyone had doubts about that. They were all walking towards him._

_"I'm not a Freak!" he yelled._

_"Are too!" answered Mia, her noise scrunching as she talked, "wanna know how I know?"_

_"No, because you're a meany!" he said with all the courage his little body could show. Too be honest, he was very scared. He didn't like trouble, he liked it when everything was calm and he knew what was going to happen. The situation became unpredictable with First years._

_"Am not!" yelled Rick. He walked up to him and shoved him. For someone who just sat in class and ate potato chips, Rick was surprisingly strong. He landed on his tail bone with a thud. "You shouldn't call people mean, that'll make them not like you!" Rick kicked him in the stomach, "you gotta do what I say, because you're still a baby, and I'm in First year, a big boy!"_

_Rick kept on kicking him. Over and over, he wouldn't stop trying to impale him with his dirty shoe. Rick had clearly never had another shoe. The smell of dirt and something that smelled like throw up invaded his noise like a slap to the face._

_"You're such a freak, Leonardo! You're so lame your mom couldn't even stand you!" said Bill._

_Soon, all four kids started kicking him. Not hard enough to make him bleed, but hard enough to bruise. He tried not to cry, but he couldn't help it. His belly was hurting really bad, and his vision was getting blurry. He closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, he imagined getting up and kicking them all a thousand miles away, and when they came back for more; he would kick them again and again, just like they were kicking him. But he knew he would never do that. Master Splinter was always telling him that he had a lot of potential, but that he was too shy to use it. _

_"HEY!" a fifth voice brave rang through. The voice was far way, but it made the kicking stop. Then he heard the running of small feet. He didn't know why, but Rick stopped kicking him and started yelling "Get her off! Get her off!" Then no one was kicking him. He slowly sat up in time to see a girl on Rick's back. She was tugging on his curly hair and beating his head with her tiny fists._

_He took a good look at her. She had long brown hair and olive skin. She looked about his age. He couldn't help but stand and stare at her while she rod Rick like a bull. She looked like she was really enjoying herself, until Bill finally got a hold of her and slammed her into the ground. He saw the splits second the air left he longs. She couldn't get up fast enough. All four First years were now surrounding her, and they did not look happy. He knew he had to do something. He couldn't let them hurt her. He balled his fists as tight as he could and ran towards Bill._

_"Get off of her!"_

_He punched and kicked, but it was like hitting a rock. He couldn't seem to make a dent in Rick nor Bill. He wouldn't hit the girls, because his father said that gentlemen never his girls._

_"What is going on over there?" a teacher asked. Like a flash, the First years stopped kicking the girl and ran. He had never seen Bill run so fast. While he was running, Bill turned around and looked at him. There was a snare in his eye. Bill looked at him with hatred, a loo he had never received. Sure, the kids that teased him looked at him with disgust, but never with hate. It sent a shiver down his spine._

_He looked back at the girl and saw she was still on the floor panting. He held his hand out and helped the girl up. She took his hand, and he thought he was going to throw up. She had a button noise, and her chubby cheeks were flushed. Her chestnut eyes were wide with adrenalin. Her brown hair was full of dirt and sticks. She was hunching over, probably because her side hurt. Yet she was smiling._

_"That was fun. Are you okay?" she asked. She had a high pitch voice, but it was sweet._

_"I'm fine. They just kicked me around. Nothing new," he wanted to sound brave. His dad told him that in front of a girl, boys had to be brave._

_She stomped he foot and crossed her arms. "Those first years are so mean! I bet that their mommy and daddy are just as mean."_

_He just nodded in agreement, even though he didn't think they were mean because their parents were mean. Raphael was mean, but his parents weren't. He knew because they worked with his father. One time, when he was in his father's office, Raphael's parents walked in looking for him. When they didn't find his father, Raphael's mother stayed with him until his father came back._

_"What's your name?" he asked, because it had become weird just standing there with her without knowing her name._

_"Danielle. But most kids call me Danni." She began to walk towards the school building. "What's your name?"_

_"Leonardo." He answered proudly. She frowned at that._

_"That sounds like a grown up name. And you're not a grown up." She looked him up and down, studying him. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he liked when she lifted his arm._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Thinking of what to call you."_

_"But my name is Leonardo," Did he not just tell her that?_

_"But I don't like that name," she circled him slowly, "so I'm gonna call you…-"_

_"I'm not a dog-"_

_"- I'm gonna call you… Leo!" she jumped up and down and clapped her hands. She seemed so proud of herself for coming up with that. Then she stopped, "Is that okay? Can I call you Leo?" her voice was full of concern and hope. Her eyes were open really wide, the same way Michelangelo opened his eyes when he wanted something from him._

_ He thought about it. His father had told him that he should be proud of his name, and he like his name so he didn't want to change it. But he didn't want to make his new friend sad. Also, he liked it when Danni said 'Leo'. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled his stomach and he felt warm._

_"Yeah, it's okay./_

Leo gasped. He didn't know why he thought of that. It felt like it happened a life time ago. He looked around, trying to remember where he was and what he had been doing. His eyes landed on the full length mirror. His slightly green skin was pale so that it almost looked normal. His ice blue eyes were wide and he had sweat dropping from his black hair. He was sitting on the floor, so he conquered that he had been meditating. He looked around his small room. Not much was left, just a bunch of boxes filled with his books. His bed was bare and his desk was gone. The only other thing left was his suitcase.

He still couldn't believe it. After 7 years, he and his brothers would be returning to New York. Leo had to admit, he would miss the streets of Japan; his friends, his girlfriend, this house… He was going to miss all of this. They had many good memories in this house. He didn't know if he could walk away from it. But at the same time he knew he had to. Moving would just be another adventure.

But still, he couldn't shake of the feeling of confusion. Why had he suddenly thought of Danni? Leo hadn't spoken to her in years and he didn't really think of her often. When they left for Japan, both of them had been arguing. True, he hadn't tried to contact her. But honestly he didn't think they needed to. She was clearly upset with him and probably didn't want to talk to him.

"Leo! Dude, we're leaving!" Mikey yelled from down stairs.

"I'm coming!" he yelled back. He got up, surveyed his room one last time, and shut the door.

Tmnt tmnt tmnt tmnt tmnt

"Are you excited to go back to New York?"

Splinter, Raph, Mikey and Donn were waiting at the door for him. The cab was waiting for them outside. Once they saw Leo, they started heading out the door.

"'Excited' isn't the word I would use," replied Raph with a huff. He was just angry because he was leaving his "gang" behind. Although it was hard to tell exactly how angry he was. He had his arms crossed as usual; his usual red bandana was on his head, so that his black hair stood up. His green eyes were filled with storms, so nothing new there either. His forest green skin was darker than usual though.

"Come on dude! Get stoked! We can have all the fast food we want now!" Mikey exclaimed. He was probably the most excited of them all. His baby blue eyes were wide with excitement and he was bouncing so much that his shaggy blond hair kept getting in his eyes. His skin was a pale green; it's usual color. The only difference was that his freckles stood out more.

"Is food the only thing you think about?" Donn asked. His voice had that superior air it always had. His glassed were tapped in the middle from Raph stepping on them earlier that day. His glasses made his amber eyes seem bigger than they actually were, making him seem like an owl. Leo had to supers a laugh whenever they talked for too long; he didn't want to be in the receiving side of his lectures. His skin wasn't green-green. It was more of a pale yellow. He had suffered the least damage out of the rest of them.

Leo closed the door got in the cab. He was still a bit shaken from his meditation. The warm feeling from Danni saying his name was still present, which made no sense to him. Danni was a girl that, if he remembered correctly, hated his guts. True, he didn't recall why she was mad, but he remembered her yelling and throwing objects at him.

"Leonardo," Leo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Splinter. His eyes were always kind, and his face had a warm glow. He always looked at his this way, and many times it agave Leo the courage to keep going. Splinter had been his father figure for 5 years, ever since his dad died in the freak lab accident. To say the truth, Splinter had been all of their fathers for about the same time. Raph, Donn, and Mikey had also lost their parents that night. Ever since then, they had been raised like brothers.

"What seems to troubling you?"

Leo sighed, "It's nothing really. It's just that, during my meditation, I saw-"

"Food! You say food, right?" Mikey interrupted, which Raph responded by slapping him a scowled, "You're the only one who meditates on food, dork."

Rolling his eyes, Splinter gestured for Leo to continue.

"Well, it's just that I saw… D-Danielle."

There was a pause, every one remembered her, it seemed. There was a lot of tension in the air, as if someone has filled the air with static. Leo got the feeling the guys knew something he didn't. Inwardly, he groaned. It seemed Leo was always the most distant from the rest of his brothers. Even when they were younger, felt constantly shunned from all of them.

"And this troubles you why?" Splinter questioned.

"Well, I haven't thought or talked to her in a while and-"

"A While? You call 4 years a 'while'?" Raph yelled. His whole body screamed anger now; his eyes were wide and dark, almost black. He flexed his already hug muscles so that he looked double his size, His face was twisted with rage and frustration, so that he looks like he was about to commit murder. His breathing had increased to a point that Leo was scared that he was actually having a panic attack. It wouldn't be the first time.

"All three of you haven't talked to Danni in 4 years! You didn't even bother knowing if she was dead or alive. I've been the only contact she has with any of us!"

Trying not to lose his temper, Leo inhaled deeply, "Then maybe you could tell me why she's so mad at us."

Raph snorted, "She's not mad at us. She's mad with you!"

Leo gasped inwardly. He didn't remember Danni being mad with him only. It didn't make sense. Why would she be made at him but not the others? They had all been friends, so if she was mad with one of them, she was mad with all of them. That's how their relationship had worked. At least, that's how Leo remembers it.

"So she doesn't ask about me?" He didn't know why he asked that. It just sort of came out. For some reason, Leo felt like Danni should ask for him.

"She always asks about all of you."

That made Leo frown. He didn't exactly know why, but he wanted Danni to only ask for him. In fact, he should have been the one in contact with her, not Raph. But these thoughts didn't make sense. Why was he suddenly so attached to a girl he hadn't thought about in years?

Don cleared his throat, "We'll be arriving at the airport in 15 minutes," he handed them their pills, "it takes a while for it to kick in."

Leo looked at the small capsule that ruled his life since second year. It had taken Don a few tries, but he had finally perfected a solution to their… condition, He didn't remember exactly what had caused them to have green skin, and his father had never told him about it. All he knew was that it was the year they all started training. Again he didn't know why, but he knew that his father seemed obsessed with him being able to defend himself. Not that he minded. He loved being able to kick ass. He enjoyed the adrenalin rush he got while training; he lived for the competition between him and the others, but mostly between him and Raph. Still he couldn't help but wonder, sometimes even question his father motives. His desire for them to be almost deadly.

Tmnt Tmnt Tmnt Tmnt Tmnt Tmnt Tmnt

As they rushed through the airport, Leo though back on his years in Japan. So much had happened these last 7 years. He recalled his first day of school. It had been like going through hell because he didn't understand any Japanese. It took him a month to learn the language and then another two to pronounce it. Once he got the language, however. Everything started to work out. He stared making friends and getting better graded at school. He wasn't like Donn that got straight A's on everything he did, but he was a solid B student.

He remembered when he got together with Sakura, his girlfriend for the past year. He had been 16 when he asked her to the spring festival. Her cherry blossom perfume had been way too strong and he kept tripping over his kimono, but it was still perfect… sort of. The truth was, even though he liked her- and he means he REALLY liked her- their relationship wasn't what he had hoped. It was filled with awkward silences and miscommunication. There were many things he just didn't tell her about. To say the truth, Leo was relived he had and excuse to break up with her.

As they took their seats on the plane, Leo drifted his thoughts to Danni. The last time he saw her, they had been 10 years old. He remember her having soft olive skin. Her hair was long and brown. She liked wearing it in a ponytail so it wouldn't get in her eyes. Her face was round and soft, her chubby checks formed dimples when she smiled. Leo broke into a grin. Her smile could light up a pitch black room. And her laugh had been the only thing that could cheer him up. Leo could still remember her birthday; May 17. Her favorite color was green because it reminded her of grass. Her favorite dish was steamed broccoli with beef. She was afraid of bugs, yet she crushed them when one scurried along.

She had been his best friend. She had been the first person he would tell anything to. When his condition became noticeable in Third year, she had supported him. Danni had starter training with them when he asked her to. That and she had always been the violent type. Even before the training, she was known to pick fights with everyone. Especially first years. She's the one that defended him and the guys First and Second year from bullies like Rick.

So then, why did she hate him and only him? But it seemed that something happened that made her hate his guts. But he couldn't remember what it was. Maybe if he meditated on it, he could remember. It really bothered him how he could forget something so important. And what was more, Raph wouldn't tell him. He was sure that he knew something. If he had been in contact with Danni for this long, they must have grown close. But just how close were they?

Wait, why did he even care? She was just a girl that used to be his friend. He didn't care if his brother was into her. Right? True, he had had a small crush on her when they were kids, but that didn't mean anything. And the fact that he was nervous about seeing her again had nothing to do with his forgotten feelings. He would just walk up to her and ask. It can't be that hard. She must realize that 7 years is a long time to hold a grudge. Leo could bet that Danni herself had forgotten all about the incident- whatever it had been.

As the plane took off, Leo closed his eyes. It was going to be a long ride.


	2. Chapter 2

Danielle

"Faster! You're being shot at, not skipping in a field! FASTER!"

Coach Ridge, the Physical Education teacher, was currently torturing his students in the Obstacle course. It held all the typical exercises; climbing rope, balancing, crawling, and swinging. Coach wanted the students to finish in less than 10 minutes. Students wanted to finish with their breakfast still in their stomachs.

Everyone hated the class. The teacher was a beer belly, grey haired, thick skulked jerk that was always in a bitter mood. He was always whining about not being able to train for some marathon do to an injury to the head. Coach Ridge was always complaining about a metal plate that was supposed to be drilled in his skull. His paranoia, mixed with his personality gave him the nickname 'Metalhead'.

The class itself demanded more energy than the normal person was willing to give. That's why Danni excelled in the class. She had more energy than all the class put together. Coach Ridge openly praised her and compared the other student's ability to hers constantly. As a result, most of the Physical Education students hated her.

Despite her previous leg injury, Danni's record in the course was 5 minutes, 30 seconds. While the rest of the class was still climbing the rope net, she was already swinging to the finish line. Everyone wondered why-and how- she got so fast. When she tore her ACL, no one had any hope she would ever do sports again, much less train at the pace she currently held. Yet she proved them all wrong. With the help of her therapist, Dr. O'Neill, she overcame the impediment. Danni was in top physical condition; she ran daily and trained in martial arts, constantly seeking perfection.

As she ran toward the finish line, her thoughts drifted to her conversation with Raph last night. After 7 years, he would finally be here. Danni's been talking with him for the past 4 years, after he apologized for leaving. After him came Donn, who also apologized, and Mikey professed his undying friendship to her. They didn't talk to her anymore, but she had already forgiven them so it didn't matter. She was really looking forward to seeing Raph though. They had grown very close during this time, and she was curious about seeing where it went. Who she wasn't looking forward to seeing at all was Leonardo.

As she crossed the finish line, she heard the fain click of a stop watch. Jogging to a stop, Danni heard the uneven steps of April, one of her best friends. Her red-orange hair was in a ponytail, as if she were going for a run. It was an inside joke between them, since it was nearly impossible for her to jog. Danni had tried to push her to get the surgery that would fix her hip, but April refused to go under the knife.

"5 minutes, 28 seconds. That's a new record."

"There's always room for improvement. Even if you _are_ the best."

April rolled her eyes, "Well aren't we humble."

"Always." Danni smirked. It was fun to 'fight' with April. She was the only one aside from Casey that didn't take offense.

The two girls walked in silence. Danni could hear people panting all around them. Some of them were exaggerating, others were literally about to throw up their breakfast. Danni couldn't help the smile that crept up her face. She got such a high from knowing she was the best. She lived for this rush of adrenalin; she loved competing with herself, always trying to make herself better. Danni knew there was no such thing as perfect, but she was the next best thing.

"Heading for the showers?" April asked as she followed Danni to the locker rooms.

"You know I hate sweat. Besides, it's always nice to shower without guys trying to get a glimpse of your ass."

"Too true."

Both of them entered an empty locker room; one of the benefits of finishing early. Danni preferred it this way. She hated dealing with perverted jerks. She detested the collective stench of teenage hormones. But that was the risks of having a co-ed locker room.

"So, you've been pushing yourself more than usual. I hope you're not trying to impress me."

"No, you're not my type," Danni laughed, "It's just-"

"Raphael is coming and you want to be ready?"

Danni could feel a blush. Only April could get her to admit it. Danni was a nervous wreck since Raph told her the news. She didn't even know what she was worried. It was just Raphael; with his big arms and his green eyes. Sure, he was a little green, but that didn't bother her. It never had.

"Yup," April sighed, "it's going to be a big, happy reunion. You, Raph, Donn, Mikey… and Leo."

Danni immediately stiffened. When ever someone mentioned Leonardo, her body would just stop. It seemed to be getting warmer and the room seemed to be closing in. Memories flashed through he mind; the Foot raiding, the sound of metal cutting through her flesh, the feeling of falling, Leonardo running away, leaving her alone.

/_It had been a few weeks after the Foot attacked them. The first thing she did after she woke up was ask for him. She had to know he was okay. Even if he had left her to fend for herself, __she was sure he had thought it for the best__.__ He would never do anything for selfish reasons, he was Fearless. _

_The door to her room opened. Her head snapped towards it, hoping it was him. Instead Casey walked in with tulips; her favorites. She watched as his brown eyes got wide and his face broke into a toothy grin._

_"DAN!" he made an unmanly squeal and dropped the flowers, "I'm so glad you're awake! We've been waiting for weeks-"_

_"Where's Leo? Is he behind you?" Danni could hardly contain the excitement in her voice. She had to see Leo NOW.__ She wanted to check every inch of him to make sure he was okay. _

_Casey's face fell. He scratched the back of his head and looked away from her. He moved to her bed slowly, as if approaching a scared animal._

_"Dan… well, you see… ah…__"_

_He was nervous. Why was he nervous? Had something happened to Leo? Was he hurt? Panic started to embrace her. It was suddenly very difficult to breath. _

_"Christopher Jones, where's Leo?" She was trying to hide the fear in her voice. Leo should be here, but he wasn't.__ Why wasn't he here? He said hr would be here. He said he'd cone back for her. _

_After a moment Casey sighed, "HE moved. To Japan. He left a few days ago." _

"Hey, Danni?" April looked at her with fear in her eyes. She was shacking Danni, attempting to snap her out of her thoughts. As Danni came out of her daze, she realized she was shaking herself with rage. Just thinking of that that day still affected her in ways she could still not control. That day, she had lost all faith in Leonardo and the rest of his "family". Then, 4 years ago, Raph, Donn, and Mikey contacted her to apologize. They cleared up everything that had happened, and yet Danni never told them what exactly happened between her and Leonardo. They didn't need to know.

"Are you alright?" April's concerned voice cut through her; Danni hated worrying her. April had enough to worry about with her dad, she didn't need nor want more problems.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine."

Still shaking, Danni got in the shower. She turned around so that the warm water would fall on her back. She took a shaky breath. Why did he still affect her this much? She had to get her emotions in check. Luckily, Danni had math later, one of her favorite subjects. Danni promised herself that she wouldn't think about Leonardo for the rest of the day.

Truth be told, Danni couldn't stop thinking about the guys. For five years, they all had been the only friends she had. After meeting Leonardo, she quickly became friends with Raphael; Leonardo's roommate.

She and Raph had an almost instant connection, their love of violence giving them much in common, but Leonardo was still her closest friend. For a few months they were the Three Musketeers so to speak. Then she met Mikey. It was during recess. She, Leonardo and Raph were near the benches when a water balloon suddenly hit Raph. As was expected, as soon as he spotted who had thrown it, Raph chased him with the threat of beating the poor guy. Danni managed to peal Raph of the kid before he did any permanent damage. After both of them came down, the prankster introduced himself as Michelangelo. Strongly enough, both Raph and Leonardo knew him, so Danni just went along with it. After that day, Mikey started hanging out with them every day, which wasn't a problem for her, but it seemed to irritate Leonardo.

It was after New Year's when Danni met Donatello. He was a new student in her science class. Donn was really smart, but had a higher air to him that ticked her off. When she saw him getting bullied, however, she had to step in. Rick and Bill were her favorite punching bags after all. Yet if it hadn't been for Leonardo, she would have never started hanging out with Donn. He, Raph, and Mikey already knew him, so she was out voted.

At the end of their Third year, Danni started to notice strange things. The guys skipped class at an alarming rate, they all moved in together, and they barricaded themselves in their dorm. It wasn't until she practically broke into the dorm that she saw they all had acquired green skin. At first, she panicked and didn't understand. Danni was 7, she couldn't comprehend why her friends looked so different all of the sudden. After some time, she accepted it and supported them. Danni even took some of the make-up from her older roommates to try and mask them. During the following months, the guys parents tried everything to help them. But they never could find what had caused their… condition.

It was around that time that they met Master Splinter. Danni remembered Leonardo's father insist repeatedly that they study with him. Something about being able to defend themselves. Raph was the first to agree, then Mikey, and strangely Donn. The last one to agree was Leonardo. It wasn't until Danni agreed to also train that he did as well. For 2 years they trained together. She enjoyed it. It also seemed to help the guys deal with their new situation. Yet there was still the problem of the green skin. It took some research and half a dozen explosions, but Donn finally managed to find a cure. Well somewhat; the solution only lasted for 24 hours. The guys were forced to take a pill everyday just so they could go outside and not be viewed like freaks.

It had been good for some time after that. The five of them kept getting better at martial arts; Danni, Raph, and Leonardo being the best students. Mikey and Donn were also great, but they were average. When they got older, competition became all of their motivation. Especially between Raph and Leonardo. There was always a certain tension between them, almost like real brothers. Master Splinter also became a sort of father figure to all of them. None of their parents were present most of the time. And when they were it was all business like; they didn't know each other at all. The guys were in boarding school for a reason- their parents didn't want them around. In Danni's case, she didn't know her parents at all, they died when she was a baby.

Fifth year was especially hard. That was the year the Foot started to attack. The Foot was a group of criminals from around the world. They attacked for no apparent reason and tool nothing but scientists. Yet that year they attacked the school. All Danni really remembered from their first attack was smoke and the feeling of panic. It was also the first time she tore her ACL, when Leonardo-

"YO! Earth to Dan! You there?"

Danni hadn't even realized Casey had entered her room. Looking up at him, she guessed he had just returned from hockey practice. His usually pale face was still a bit pink. Sweat or water dripped from his black hair, and he smelled horrible.

"Have you hit the showered yet? You reek, man!"

"Nah, I wanted you to smell me first. I know how much you like it."

They stared at each other for a moment before they both broke into a fit of laughter, this always happened; Casey always knew what to say to make her laugh. Sometimes it wasn't even what he said, it was his laugh. Every time, it sounded like he was having trouble breathing.

After Danni could breathe normally again, she held her aching stomach, "So why are you really here?"

Casey looked up at her. His eyes told her he was worried; nervous even. Danni didn't like that. Whenever Casey was nervous meant that he was with OVER THINKING of UNDER THINKING something. He scratched the back of his head and looked down.

"I just want to make sure you're okay… you know, with Leo coming back to the school,"

Danni looked down and balled her fists. Hadn't she just stopped thinking about him?

"Casey…"

"I just wanted to make sure you don't get your hopes up and don't throw a fit when he rejects you-"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Casey rolled his eyes, "Dan, you and I both you dumped me for him-"

"I did not! He wasn't even in school when we dated!" Was he serious? How could he think HE had anything to do with their relationship? If anything, Casey and her got together because of Leonardo. Danni wasn't in Te right state of mind after he left and Casey was the one that had offered her any comfort.

"Oh come on! You were always comparing me with him, always daydreaming about him. That year you were pushed to going out with me, and were always looking for an excuse to break-"

Danni rolled her eyes and put crossed her arms, "Then what are you complaining about? You're going out with April, who clearly has a thing for you-"

Casey put up his hands up in surrender, "I'm not complying! I love April and I am seriously grateful to you for breaking up with me."

Danni didn't know if that was an insult of a compliment. As a friend, she guessed it was a wonderful thing to say… but as a girl that had dated him… well it's a good thing their friends.

"Dan, I just don't want you to get hurt."

Danni sighed, "Casey, do you honestly think I would go for Leonardo after all this time?"

Casey just stared back at her with a blank expression. _What did I ever see in you? What does April see in you?_

"Christopher, he left. He didn't even look back. 7 years have passed and he's never called. Didn't even send a message along! How would I ever be with him after that?

Casey's face was twisted with confusion. Danni could see his mind struggling to comprehend her logic. His eyes scrunched together and his forehead wrinkled in concentration. She waited patiently for him to catch up to her. Danni and April has learned not to rush him the hard way.

"So you DON'T want to go out with him?"

"Of course not!"

"Not even if he begged for forgiveness?"

"NO. Okay? No. Leonardo is dead to me. He has been for a long time."

Casey sighed, "Yeah, okay. You keep telling yourself that," he started walking towards the door, "just remember, everything changes."

"Not this time." Danni crossed her arms defensively. She would not let Leonardo back in her heart again. Besides, her sights were set on his hot headed 'brother'.


	3. Chapter 3

Raphael

8 hours.

He's been still for 8 hours, trapped on this flying contraption that could fall at any moment. While his brothers were snoring away in LaLa Land, Raph was gripping the seat for dear life. He had always hated flying; if people had been meant to fly, they would've had wings. Raph's least favorite part was the takeoff and the little shakes the plane would give now and again. He had wanted to go by boat, but there were two down sides to that: Mikey got sea sick and it would take longer to get to Danni.

Raph shivered with anticipation. Just thinking of her got his blood pumping. It had been almost 24 hours since they had texted, 12 weeks since they had talked on Skype, 6 months since he had received any kind of gift from her, and 7 years since they had been face to face. He couldn't wait to hug her, take her hand, kiss her red lips…

He sighed. Ever since he had contacted her 4 years ago, taking to her was all he could do to keep from madness. He became obsessed with knowing how she was, where she was, and who she was with. It was a gradual process, but eventually they started talking every day, for 3 to 4 hours at a time. They talked about everything; weather the differences between cultures, food, academics… most of the time he wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, he was just listening to her talk. There was an almost hypnotic quality to her voice. It was his favorite part of the day, be it morning or night.

Leo was groaning in his sleep. Raph turned to see Leo's face sweating. His face was twisted with confusion, and he was muttering something under his breath. Raph and Leo had always had a tense relationship. When they were little, they would disagree on almost everything. When Leo met Danni, things just got worse; Lei started getting possessive about her. She was HIS friend, not Raph's. But Raph was stubborn and didn't let Leo take ownership. At first it was just to push Leo's buttons, but after a week, Raph sincerely wanted to be friends with Danni. She was the most amazing girl he had ever met; she was smart, fun, violent, and totally seemed to understand him. When Mikey started hanging out with them every day, Leo got even more possessive. Raph was surprised Donn got to join the group, but he seemed to poses less of a threat to Leo.

Raph didn't really acknowledge his feelings for Danni until Third year. By then, his relationship with Leo had turned into a rivalry. When they started training with Master Splinter, Leo and Raph were constantly trying to be better than each other. Everyone around them just assumed it was classic brother rivalry, and at the beginning it was. Raph focused more on the physical aspect, making him as strong as he possibly could. Leo polished his technique, spending hours a day on one move. Between them it was a contest of power. By the time they were 10, however, they were also competing for Danni's attention. When Leo was showing off a difficult move, Raph had to make it look easier than he did. When Raph was lifting weights, Leo had to lift more than him. By then, it was obvious the Leo like Danni. Unfortunately, so did Raph.

As he stared al Leo sleep, Raph couldn't help thinking how selfish his "big brother" was. Leo knew Danni lived for him; it was a fact hard to miss. If he told Danni to jump, she would give that one jump her all. They were so connected and so involved; they were inseparable. Yet, when things got too intense, Fearless chickened out.

_/His heart was trying to get out of his chest and his lungs refused to work. His legs felt like lead and his head was spinning. The Foot jumped them from nowhere. The five of them had just been walking down the street. All of the sudden he was being kicked to the ground. He was disoriented for a moment, but got up and fought back immediately. Periodically, he would check on Danni; she was still in recovery from last month. Even with a torn ACL, Danni seemed to be fairing pretty well, keeping her attacker at bay. Mikey and Donn were also doing well, working together to keep the attacker at arm's length. Leo, as always, was showing off by taking on 4 people at once. _

_Everything was going well until suddenly another wave of Foot came running towards them in an alarming rate. They came with such speed; he got knocked to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground, some of the Foot crowded over him and started kicking him. He covered his face, but got kicked over and over in the stomach. Over the chaos, he could hear Danni scream Leo's name. There was so much fear that it sent a shiver down his spine. He was about to get up, but suddenly Leo was there pulling him up and away from the crowd. He turned his head and saw that all the Foot were headed to were Danni had been._

_"What about Danni?"_

_Leo didn't respond, he just kept running. There were tears coming down his face./_

Danni never came back to school. 2 days later they learned she was in the hospital in a coma with both knees shattered and 3 broken ribs. Raph was the first one to go visit her. Donn and Mikey went with him after that. Leo never went. At school he barely talked. 2 weeks later, Raph's dad told him they were moving to Japan. Leo's dad, Raph's dad's boss, told him to relocate at a chemical plant in Japan. His parents refused to leave him in New York alone, so Raph suddenly found himself on a plane. He didn't even get to say good-bye to Danni. Raph would've said something to Donn and Mikey, but they were also headed to Japan. Their parents also worked for Leo's dad.

His first day in Japan was hell. Raph literally walked into a room hearing gibberish. Everyone thought he was stupid because he wouldn't respond when spoken to. At recess, a group of teenagers jumped him. The teens were around 15 or 16, so naturally the thought the new 10 year old would make an easy target. When Raph started to fight back, the 'tough' kids were reduce to shaking leaves. After that day, he started getting more respect. Kids went from teasing to fearing him. A few brave souls befriended him. The ones that knew English translated for him and eventually taught him Japanese. Of course, Raph protected Mikey and Donn, were as Leo just sort of shunned them. When they got to Japan, Leo immediately got sucked into his own bubble. They barely talked to one another, and when they did Leo made sure to express his disappointment in Raph's choice of friends. Within the first year, Raph had made it his mission to avoid Leo as much as possible.

They all still trained together with Master Splinter. At first, it was weird training without Danni. Besides Raph and Leo, she was the best fighter. There weren't any other suitable opponents for. At first, Raph avoided pairing with Leo, even though he was the best. They fought constantly as it was; Raph didn't want to also fight while training. However, as their arguments intensified, confrontation carried over to sparring sessions. Whatever disagreement they didn't settle by talking, they would settle with punches and kicks. Leo and Raph would fight viceroy and aggressively. There were times Master Splinter would have to separate them to avoid permanent damage. All their fighting deteriorated their relationship until they were no longer the friends they once were. They had morphed into a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode.

Raph's parents worked in a chemical plant along with Leo's, Mikey's, and Donn's parents. For the past year, he watched his parents discuss something they called 'mutagen'. From what he understood, the substance was supposed to regrow skin and bone. His and the others parents killed themselves working day and night on the mutagen. They also argued over it constantly. One time Raph walked in on one of their discussions. He didn't really pay attention; they were talking in code it seemed. He was about to turn away until he heard his name.

"Raphael is the one that has suffered!" his dad yelled.

"He's fine. He made friends, he's been getting around-"

"It's not about that! Lisa, our son is green!

That was the first time Raph's dad had refused to his condition. His parents had always evaded the topic like the Black Pelage. They wouldn't tell Raph what had caused it or what it was they were doing to fix it. He really should be surprised though; his parents rarely tell him anything.

"We're working on fixing it," his mom sighed, "you know we're working our asses off Henry-"

"For who?! Not for Raph or the kids- the victims! We know exactly what caused it-"

"No we don't! It was an accident!-

"Stop lying to yourself! You know as we as I do what it was. Doesn't Lewis keep records-"

"He wasn't there. He was too busy working with Donatello."

There was a slam. Raph could tell his father was losing patience.

"We shouldn't have used them."

"What choice did we have? Master wanted results. It we hadn't taken action, he would have."

"But we failed, and he attacked their school! Raph could have died! They all could have!"

His dad was sobbing. Raph's dad never cried. Whatever there were talking about must be really bad. Shaken by his father's sobs, Raph returned to his room.

Later that night, he woke up drenched in cold sweat. Raph had this inexplicable feeling of anxiety and dread. His clock said that it was 1 in the morning, and he felt like he was alone at home. Raph sensed the lack of life that there would usually be in his home. The fact that his parents rarely left him by himself at all didn't help Raph calm down. It pained him to say that he had gotten use to the idea of his mom or dad always being with him. Cautiously, he went down stairs and found a note curtly stating mom and dad would be at the lab. Something felt off to Raph; the note felt too impersonal. Sure, his parents and he weren't peas in a pod, but things changed when they started sharing a roof. By accident, all of three of them had made a routine of some sorts. Raph returned to his room feeling uneasy and strangely insecure. He didn't fall back asleep for a long time.

In the morning his parents were still not home. There was no sign that they had at any point come home. Raph resisted panic. He had to keep calm so that he could react effectively. Raph slipped into a robot like routine; one he haven't used in a two years. He made himself breakfast in silence and ate as fast as he could. He got ready for school as he usually would. At 7:30 sharp, Master Splinter came to pick him up so they could walk together like they always did. This was a ritual his Master only did with him. Raph asked about it once, but Master Splinter never answered.

"Where are your parent Raphael?" Raph's dad and Master Splinter usually said good morning to each other.

"They left for work early."

Raph lied; he wasn't exactly sure why. Master splinter didn't seem to believe him though. His soft face darkened and he visibly tensed. If he knew something, he didn't say.

At 8:00, when he finally got to school, Raph noticed everyone was looking at him weird. As Raph walked down the hall, he received stares from everyone. They seem to be shocked that he was there. With everyone whispering behind his back, Raph began to feel a little uncomfortable.

When he reached his locker, he saw that his friend Lee was waiting for him. Lee had a sad look on his face. His brown hair was rustled due to him running his hand through it. It was a habit he had when he was stressed. When Raph came up, Lee didn't look up.

"What are you doing here, Raph-san?"

"What do you mean? We have school, why wouldn't I be here?"

"Well, I just thought-"

"Raph!" Both Mikey and Donn come running towards him. Both looked horrible; they had black circles in their eyes and Mikey's baby blue eyes were dim and red, like he had been crying. Donn looked like he barely made it out the door.

Raph was about to make a remark on their attire, but Mikey interrupted him.

"Did you're parents come home last night?"

Taken back from the question, Raph didn't lie this time. When he told them what had happened, Mikey and Donn looked at each other. Raph was about to ask them what the hell was going on when the headmaster, Mr. Cho, called them over. Now Raph had been sent to the office many times, but he had never seen Mikey of Donn being called to the office- ever. Alarms went off in Raph's head. Raph bid Lee a hasty farewell and got escorted to the administration.

When he got there, panic filled him when he saw Leo was there. Leonardo, the perfect student, was never in trouble. Raph had no idea as to what to expect at this point.

"Sit children," Mr. Cho's voice was unusually genital. Raph was used to seeing a hard and disappointed look on his face, but now Mr. Cho had a look of pity. His pale face was tense, but with sadness. He looked old and weak. Raph hated weak.

"Children, there is no easy way to say this. You must be strong and support each other…"

If Raph was honest, he didn't remember the rest of the headmaster's speech. The only thing he knew was that one moment he was an average 12 year old boy, the next he was at his first funeral.

/_It was raining. He, Mikey, Donn, and Leo were all huddled under one umbrella held by Master Splinter. Many of the people that had gathered at the funeral he had never seen before. He didn't understand why they were there. Them being there made this entire event feel too impersonal. Besides, Master Splinter had told them that this was going to be a privet event. It didn't seem that privet to him._

_There were 7 tombs in front of them; one for each of their parents. He tried to contain the tears, but a couple slipped out. Mikey and Donn sobbed quietly next to him. They were holding each other, giving the other comfort. Raph turned to give Leo some comfort, for he surely must need it. He was reaching out for him, but stopped. Leo had no tears in his eyes, no sign of pain at all. Leo stared at his father's tomb, as if hopping he would pop out at any moment. Raph couldn't help but pity him._

_As the priest finished his words, Master Splinter touched his shoulder./_

_"You will all be coming to live with me for a while."_

A 'while' turned into 5 years. Master Splinter adopted all of them legally and made them all brothers. Of course, Raph's relationship with Leo didn't change. If anything, Leo grew bitterer towards Raph's attitude and friends. Whenever they came over, Leo treated them like they were less than him. Leo couldn't seem to accept that Raph had been so quickly included into a group when Leo himself had not.

After his parent's death, Raph began to think constantly of Danni. He realized that he had made a mistake by not contacting her these last 2 years. A nagging sensation started growing inside of him. Raph didn't want to keep their story open in bad terms; something about his father's death had taught him/ He didn't want to die without at least apologizing to Danni. It took him a year, but he finally got her contact information. To his surprise, she was still attending the same boarding school. When he was 13, a year after his parents' death, Raph finally contacted Danni.

"Raph?" Leo's voice shook him from his thoughts. Raph looked at Leo's sleepy face; he was sweating from his nightmare, hair sticking up at weird angles and some plastered to his head. With the pill in his system, Leo's skin was a pale white, the contrast with his black hair made his eyes seem ice cold.

"What?" Raph couldn't help the rough edge in his voice. Years of fighting and hurting each other made it a habit for Raph. More so when it was referred towards Leo. Raph would never talk this way to Mikey.

"You were staring at me. Something on your mind?" Leo stretched his back popping a couple of times. His voice was still heavy with sleep, but it was still tense. As if Leo were ready for Raph to attack him. Raph inwardly flinched at his brother's discomfort. _I wish things were different…_

"I've been on a fucking flying death trap for 8 fucking hours-"

"And you're stressed?"

"That's brilliant Sherlock." Raph gritted his teeth as the plane gave a little hop.

There was a pause. Leo had something on his mind, Raph could tell. Confusion and frustration was written all over his face; Leo's brow was scrunched with concentration and he kept avoiding Raph's eyes. To anyone else, it would give away nothing. To someone who had lived with him literally his entire life, that vague body language gave off red flags.

"Spit it out, Fearless."

Leo suddenly tensed. His head snapped up and he had a wild look in his eyes, like he had just figured something out. But then the look of uncertainty clouded his face again. Leo shook his head slightly and replaced disperse with a serious look.

"Do you really not know why Danni's mad at me?"

Raph sighed, "I have a few ideas…"

Leo straightened up, gesturing for Raph to continue.

"Dude, we left without saying anything. She didn't know if we were dead or alive-"

"But then why has she been talking to you?"

"Because I apologized. Donn apologized. Even Mikey apologized. You were so caught in you own world-"

"No, I wasn't. I was just-"

"Being a self-absorbed dick?"

"How?"

The plane jumped again, a little more violently then before.

"You left her in the hospital with two shattered knew! Danni and you were inseparable and you just left her-"

"Because she said she didn't want to see me-"

"Why would she do that? You were her everything!" Raph could almost feel the venom drip from his words. The plane shuttered more. The belt signal flashed on while the plane kept jumping and groaning.

"Because- Because she just did okay? She didn't want to see me-"

Raph gave a bitter chuckle, "You could not be making less sense."

"We are experimenting some rough are. The captain has asked for passengers to return their seat to the upright position and fasten their seat belts." The assistant calmly announced as she held on to the seat next to her. The plane was shacking at this point. Passengers were murmuring nervously. To his right, Mikey was gripping the arm rests while Donn just clenched his fists. Splinter looked calm and collected, as if nothing was happening.

"What do you want Raph? I don't even remember what I did-"

"Well that's your problem-"

"Very helpful-"

"Wasn't trying to help-"

"Why are you so difficult-"

"Because your infuriating-"

"I just asked a question! Why do you care so much-"

"YOU HURT HER!"

Slowly the plane stopped shaking. It was still groaning, but not as violently.

Raph relaxed his grip and unclenched his teeth. "You hurt her and you don't even care."

Raph felt Leo's stare. It was burning through his skull, but he didn't care. Leo didn't seem to lose sleep for hurting Danni. Raph couldn't believe how selfish Leo was; he had everything Raph wanted.. and Leo didn't care. The perfect son didn't care.

"I do care," Leo mumbled. His voice had the slightest shake to it. Raph couldn't tell it it as from anger or from sadness. It Raph had turned around; he would've seen Leo shake slightly with frustration. He would've seen Leo's face twist with regret as miss-matched memories came rushing into him. He would've seen Leo struggling to comprehend the images flashing through him. If Raph had turned around, he would have seen Donn's knowing look as he saw his brother begin to break.  
>Raph would've seen Donn as he prepared for the storm that was about to begin.<p>

But Raph didn't.

* * *

><p>Please review! I live for them!<p> 


End file.
